Visiting the Helix Nebula

I love outer space. I’ve never been a sci-fi fan or a Trekkie or—gasp—even seen Star Wars! But since I was a little girl growing up in the Pacific Northwest I’ve loved sleeping outside during the summer under the stars. It’s one of the reasons I love camping, because it gets me even farther away from light pollution. Even though it’s still winter, this can be a great time to stargaze—if only for short periods. Visibility is often better at this time of year.

In looking for a meditation video to share with you, I came across this brief descent into the Helix Nebula (also pictured above and below, as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope). I find that nothing alters my perspective and shrinks my worries as fast as contemplation of the vast night sky. I urge you to visualize any challenges you’re facing as being consumed by this collision of two gases near a dying star.

The Helix Nebula is one of the closest of all planetary nebulae—close being a relative term in astronomy—lying at a distance of about 400 light years from Earth. The colorful, visible gaseous fragments lie along the inner edge of the star’s ring, trillions of miles from the star at its center. The comet-like tails form a radial pattern around the star like the spokes on a wheel. If observed from a dark location, the Helix is visible with binoculars, and shows the object as a large circular hazy spot.

Enjoy the gift of this extreme beauty, miraculously captured by modern technology also whirling through space. Breathe. Relax. Release. Meditate.

MEDITATION VIDEO

CONTEMPLATIONS

• How do images of outer space make you feel?
• What symbolism do the colors have for you?
• Do you allow room in your soul for mysteries?
• If you go outside tonight and make a wish upon a star, what will you ask for?

Jump aboard Comet Lulin here.